Automatic hose retriever



F. K. HOTCHKISS AUTOMATIC HOSE RETRIEVER Filed Sept. 5, 1920 5* I N V EN TOR.

enemas Ira, 13,1923.

FRED K. i-roronirrss, or sAwrnLLn, cerrroianrn.

AUTOMATIC HOSE BETRIEVEB.

Application filed September 3., 1920. Serial-1T0. 407,976.

To all e h om 'it v z/cry concern 1 Be it known that l, FRED K. Hano miss, citizen of the United States, residing at Sawtelle, in the county of Los Angeles and Car State of Galifornia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Hose l'letrievers, of. which the following is a speci fication.

It is the object of this invention to provide a holder for hose and the like which isarranged to permit the hose to be drawn from the holder and which will automatically return the hose to the holder when itisreleased. y

The inventioniis particularly applicable "for use in connection with an automobile service station \where it is desired to provide a plurality ofhose lines leading froma water supply and an air supply. By means of the present invention a plurality of hose lines are arranged within-a single container and are each provided with means for rethe same.

turning the lines to theholder after using The invention will be readily understood from thefollowingdescription of the accompanying drawingsin which- Figure 1 is a plan view with the top broken away of a device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2- 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 3---3 of Figure 1.

wheels, say the wheel 5, is fixed for rotation with shaft 3, while the wheel 6 is journaled upon the shaft 3. i I

In the embodiment shown, conical. containers 7 and 8 are positioned within the easing beneath the respective wheels, and said containers are provided with openings 9 at their upper ends throughwhich hose lines may pass into the containers. The containers are arranged within the casing so that the openings ofthe respective containers are beneath diametrically opposite sides of the respective wheels. The front wall of easing 1 is-provided with openings 10, and hose l nes 11 and 12- extend through therespectlve openings. The hose line 11 is in alinement withwheel 6 and extends into the casing 1 over an idle pulley 13 and thence upwardly over wheel 6 and downwardly through the opening 9 of container 8 into said container. The hose is coiled within the conical container and its opposite end extends outwardly through the container and through casing 1 and is connected to a suitable water supply.

The hose line 12 extends into casing 1 substantially in alinement with wheel 5 and 7 0 is. guided byan idle ulley 1a to a point below wheel 5 and tlien extends upwardly around the back of wheel 5 and downwardly over the front of the wheel and into container 7 through the opening 9 of the same.

Vilithin the containers the hose lines are coiled, as previously described, and the end of each extends through the container and the casing to a suitable air supply.

The hoselines are preferably held in position upon their respective wheels by means of rollers 15 received against the grooved peripheries of the wheels which receive the hose lines. These rollers are preferably arranged at opposite sides of the wheels and are 35 journaled upon links 16 pivoted to the easing 1. The rollers at the opposite sides of a wheel may be yieldably held in position against the wheel by means of a bar 17 received at its opposite ends through lugs 18 upon the links supporting the respective rollers. The rod 17 is provided with heads 19 to prevent longitudinal displacement of the rod relative to lugs 18, and one end of the rod preferably extends beyond the lug 18,

with a spring 20 interposed between the head of the rod and the lug in order to yieldably swing the links 16 carrying the rollers toward one another and thereby form resilient guide means for retaining the hose lines upon.

their wheels.

The wheel 6 which is journaled upon shaft 3, is provided with casing 22 extending axially from the wheel. A coil. spring 5213 is received within this easing with one end 5 thereof fixed to shaft 3 and the other end of the same fixed to the casing, The spring is so arranged that when hose line 11 is drawn from casing 1, the other hose being held against inward movement-es by the contact of, its nozzle with the outer casing 1 the rotation of wheel 6 and casing 22 will cause the spring 23 to be tensioned. As a result, when the hose line 11 is released, casing 22 and wheel 6 will be reversely rotated for redrawing hose lines into casing 1. The hose line will be drawn into its container and, due to the conical formation of said eontainer, will be coiled within the same as clearly shown in Figure 2. When hose line 12 is withdrawn from easingl, its wheel 5 will be rotated in the reverse direction to the direction in which wheel 6 is rotated when hose line 1.1 is withdrawn from the casing,

I hose 11 being in turn held against inward movement. This rotation of wheel 5 will cause rotation of shaft 3 and a consequent tensioning of spring 23, so that when hose line 12 is released, it will be withdrawn into casing 1 and coiled in its container 7.

As will be obvious, withdrawal of both hose at the same time will merely increase the tension on the spring 23, favorably to the return of both lines of hose. It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the construction, as thus set forth, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Thev combination with a shaft, of a plurality of line-handling wheels mounted thereon, a spring having operating connection between said shaft and one of said wheels,v and means connecting the other wheel to the shaft-so that rotation of either of said wheels by the withdrawal of a line thereover will tension said spring.

2. The combination with a shaft ofa wheel fixed thereon, and a wheel journaled on said shaft, a coil spring secured to said shaft at one end and to said journaled wheel at its opposite end, said wheels being arranged to be rotated in opposite directions for paying out flexible members from said wheels, the tension of said, spring causing rotation of one of said wheels relative to the other wheel.

3. The combination with a container of a wheel, a flexible member normally coiled within said container and passing over and in frictional contact with said wheel, said wheel being adapted to be rotated in one direction by the withdrawal of said flexible member and a spring means tensioned by said rotation of the wheel and adapted to reversely rotate the wheel and return the flexible member when said flexible member is released.

t. The combination with a container of a wheel and flexible member received within said container and passing over said wheel, guide rollers engaging said flexible member and retaining the latter upon said wheel, said guide rollers being suitably supported and being connected by a tie rod with yieldable means engaging said rollers f or drawing both rollers toward said wheel.

5. In a retriever for a plurality of lines, a wheel for handling each line, said wheels being adapted to be rotated in opposite lirections by the withdrawal of a line thereorer, a common shaft for said wheels, and a spring connection between one of said wheels and said shaft, whereby the rotation of either wheel by the withdrawal of a line thereover will tension said spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED K. HOTCHKISS. 

